Beginner's Guide to Linux Packaging with nFPM

Are you looking to package up a shell script in Linux for easy distribution and installation? Look no further than nFPM - a simple and powerful tool for creating packages in various formats. In this blog post, we will walk you through the basic steps of using nFPM to package a shell script.

What is nFPM?

nFPM is a tool that helps you create packages in different formats (such as deb, rpm, apk, etc.) for various package managers. It simplifies the process of packaging software, making it easier for developers to distribute their applications across different Linux distributions.

Instalation

Before we begin, make sure you have nFPM installed on your system. Please refer to their install directions at https://nfpm.goreleaser.com/install/.

Packaging a Shell Script

Let’s say you have a simple shell script named hello.sh that you want to package using nFPM. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you create a Debian package (.deb), RedHat package (.fpm), Alpine (.apk), and even packages for Arch Linux (.pkg.tar.zst).

1. After installing nFPM, create a new directory for your project and cd into it. You will also need to make sure a copy of your script is in this directory.

2. Create a Configuration file for nFPM. You can name it nfpm.yaml and add the following content:

name: hello
arch: all
platform: linux
version: 1.0.0
section: default
priority: extra
maintainer: Your Name <your.email@example.com>
description: A simple hello world script
contents:
  - src: hello.sh
    dst: /usr/local/bin/hello.sh

Make sure to modify the content after you copy and paste nfpm.yaml to match the script you are working on.

3. Run the respective command (updating the target path) to generate the desired package type:

Debian Derivatives (this includes Ubuntu)

nfpm pkg --packager deb

RedHat and Derivatives

nfpm pkg --packager rpm

Alpine

nfpm pkg --packager apk

Arch Linux

nfpm pkg --packager archlinux

4. Once the package is created bring it over to the system you want to install it on and run the respective install command on the generated package:

If you changed the package name you will need to change it here too.

Debain and Derivatives

sudo dpkg -i hello_1.0.0_all.deb

RedHat and Derivatives

sudo rpm -i hello_1.0.0_all.rpm

Alpine

sudo apk add --allow-untrusted hello_1.0.0_all.apk

Arch Linux

sudo pacman -U hello_1.0.0_all.pkg.tar.zst

Conclusion

Packaging software for Linux can be a daunting task, but tools like nFPM make it easier and more manageable. By understanding how packaging works and using tools like nFPM, you can simplify the process of distributing your applications across different Linux distributions and package managers. In this blog post, we covered the basics of using nFPM to package a simple shell script into a Debian package. With nFPM, you can streamline the packaging process and ensure smooth installation for your users. Embrace the power of packaging and make distributing your software a breeze with nFPM.